NaNo Prep!

How does one prepare for the madness that is NaNoWriMo? (National Novel Writing Month - for those that don't know, is a challenge to write a 50K novel in 30 days. It amounts to 1667 words a day.) Should one even prepare ahead of time?
There are several thoughts on this, and my answer is pretty middle of the road.


I have been a "Pantser" before, and I've been a "Planner" in previous challenges. My answer to which is better, sounds like a cop out, but I do a combination of both!
For my Ryder Chronicles, where there is so much to keep track of, I tend to plan and plot, and do a lot more prep. On the flip side, when I wrote my romance set in Ireland last year, I only had a very rough outline and names of people and places.


Since this year I'll be writing the fifth in my Ryder Chronicles (The second in the next trilogy) I'm firmly in the "Planner" side of things.
So how do I do it? How do I plan to write a 50K plus word novel in 30 days?


Vewwy, Vewwy carefully. (Hah, made myself laugh :)


But really. I have what some writers refer to as a "book bible". I have a black, multi-functional binder full of character sketches, hand drawn maps, notes, world building information- anything that I may need to flesh out the world and story. I just call it my "binder o' magic". I also have two little notebooks for jotting down notes on the go, and plotting. One is larger and one is pocket sized. There is something about writing an outline by hand, drawing arrows, and crossing things out that a computer just doesn't have!

But it doesn't stop there! The one thing that I do that not many writers I know personally do, is I make what I call "scene" cards. These are little index cards that I take, and write out the POV I'm in, what number the scene is, and any action, dialogue, characters that are there, and information I need specific to that scene. Again, I take it one step further, and color code using paper clips for at a glance reference on who is getting "screen" time. Many people scoff when they see me pull them out at a write in, but they are the best ever! It's like I've envisioned the story already, and am just following what's already there. (There is of course wiggle room within these scenes, its just a more detailed "outline" if you will)

The last thing that I do to prepare, and it's mixed into the above, is I actively daydream. What do I mean by that?
I mean that I take the time to listen to some epic music, and zone out while directing my thoughts on the story and characters. This allows me to envision scenes, dialogue, and plot points that I need to happen. Often I "find" things that need to be added. I simply let my mind play out scenes from the outline (or maybe I haven't done one yet, and that's what this is for) like a movie. Every now and then I stop and make notes of something that needs to be added, or remembered when I come back to write. It's time to let my imagination roam through the story and work on whatever it happens to stumble across.


How do you prepare for a large project? Or just the NaNo challenge? I'd love to hear your thoughts!